He pulls up his car next to the restaurant. As he enters, he removes his heavy coat and hat, looks around the room, and notices the two men waiting for him. The men, sitting at a booth, watch as their ‘client’ sits opposite them. Soon after he settles into his seat, the man informs them of how and when exactly he would like the crime to be done. They negotiate the fee, after much back and forth, and the man gets up, grabs his coat, and leaves the restaurant, seemingly satisfied with what he has just done. However, as the viewer soon finds out, things do not fall into place as the man would have hoped for. Not at all.

Fargo is directed by Joel Coen and is written by his brother Ethan Coen as well as himself. The film stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi. It is based on a true story that involves a crime that goes terribly wrong until a talented police officer brings it all to light. Fargo is a crime-drama that runs slightly over an hour and a half.

Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson

One of the main features that makes Fargo such an incredible piece of cinema are the superb acting performances on display. However, only three actors deliver truly remarkable roles: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi.

Frances McDormand is one of those actresses who knows how to seamlessly blend into her roles. She gives off these natural and familiar performances that make all her film characters come to life, none more so than as Marge Gunderson in Fargo. As the pregnant police detective Gunderson, McDormand is instantly likable and connects with the viewers without much effort. Her character’s unique accent coupled with her keen detective instincts combine to deliver a formidable police officer who does not stop until she uncovers the truth of the complex crime confronting her. I think it is not an exaggeration for me to say that Frances McDormand’s performance in Fargo ranks among the very best of those given by actresses in the 1990s. She is simply unbelievable in this film.

William H Macy as Jerry Lundegaard

Another performance I really like in Fargo is that by William H. Macy as the unlucky and clumsy Jerry Lundegaard. Lundegaard is a hapless man who puts in motion the crime that turns dreadfully wrong with unexpected catastrophic consequences. Macy is one of Hollywood’s greatest character actors as he, like the aforementioned McDormand, knows how to totally inhabit his character and makes us deeply interested and intrigued by his choices, no matter how wrong they might seem to the viewer. William H. Macy is a gifted actor who I will never get tired of watching as he has the ability to grab attention and keep the viewer gripped to his performance throughout the film. A superlative actor to say the least.

Steve Buscemi as Carl Showalter

One cannot also forget Steve Buscemi as the criminal Carl Showalter. Buscemi has this special ability of playing loud and abrasive characters who manage to steal every scene they are in. He perhaps demonstrates that most clearly in Fargo as Showalter, a man who gets embroiled into a crime that evolves into a series of terrible consequences. What is admirable in Buscemi is his ability to give Showalter a lot of attitude and arrogance whilst not being annoying in the process. Not many actors can pull that off but Buscemi is one of the few who can do it effortlessly. He is yet another reason why Fargo is such a powerful acting showcase.

What gives Fargo its heart and soul, however, is the dynamic duo of Joel and Ethan Coen. Let us start with Joel Coen who directs this film. His supervision of the actors is clear all over the film. He allows them the needed space to perform to the best of their abilities without any excessive acting; a marvelous accomplishment. His choice of music in Fargo is spot-on as well. The film’s soundtrack is haunting, moody, and mysterious; it fits perfectly with the movie’s atmosphere and helps emphasize the intense scenes perfectly. Fargo’s musical score is done by composer Carter Burwell, a usual Coen Brothers collaborator, and is one of his finest works, in my opinion.

Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson (Right)

There is also the entertaining dialogue that is written by Joel and his brother Ethan Coen. Both of them do an excellent job in giving Fargo a script that is quirky, funny, and filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep the viewers engaged at all times. The Coen brothers have a very distinctive talent of deftly fusing dramatic, comedic, and suspenseful scenes together in order to deliver a rare and memorable motion picture. That talent is at its most exceptional in Fargo.

A special mention should be given to one of the film’s most unforgettable scenes. As the cop Marge Gunderson slowly walks into the criminals’ hiding place, she stumbles upon a setting that completely shocks her. She witnesses one of convicts in the midst of putting his dead accomplice’s body parts through a wood chipper, with a massive gush of blood continuously flowing from the machine and unto the snow. I love how that scene is directed with such restraint and focus that it still provides me with chills even after several viewings. That is a sign of an enormously gifted director, which Joel Coen certainly is.

The film’s cinematography should be highlighted too as it is one of cinema’s most beautiful. The scenes are gorgeously shot by Roger Deakins, one of my all-time favorite cinematographers, as they are able to show Fargo’s snow and winter environment in a stunning way that leaves the viewer awe-struck. One that comes to mind is that scene which features a desolate car in the midst of snow, shot in top view, as a character slowly approaches it with his feet making footprints on the snow; a lovely scene presented in an extraordinary view. I really enjoy the experience Deakins provides via his shots as they are vibrant, alive, and visually-arresting. He is an extremely talented cinematographer who manages to tell his own story through his camerawork.

Steve Buscemi as Carl Showalter

Out of all the Coen brothers’ films, Fargo stands alone as their most unique and significant film. Granted, Joel and Ethan Coen have created a handful of film masterpieces but none of their other films have this combination of environmental setting, quirky characters, or riveting storyline. Indeed, I see Fargo as a flawless motion picture that only grows in resonance the more I watch it. With a trio of terrific actors, a skillful cinematographer, and a supremely confident directing-and-writing duo, I do not hesitate in calling Fargo a film that will endure for many decades to come.

Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson

Trailer:

Director:

Joel Coen

Outstanding performances:

• Frances McDormand (as Marge Gunderson)
• William H. Macy (as Jerry Lundegaard)
• Steve Buscemi (as Carl Showalter)

Runtime:

1 hour and 38 minutes

Rating:

R

Genres:

Crime / Drama

1. Pulp Fiction (lost to Forrest Gump) (1994)

2. Citizen Kane (lost to How Green Was My Valley) (1941)

3. Saving Private Ryan (lost to Shakespeare in Love) (1998)

4. Fargo (lost to The English Patient) (1996)

5. Goodfellas (lost to Dances with Wolves) (1990)

6. Raging Bull (lost to Ordinary People) (1980)

7. Apocalypse Now (lost to Kramer vs Kramer) (1979)

8. Taxi Driver (lost to Rocky) (1976)

9. Brokeback Mountain (lost to Crash) (2005)

10. LA Confidential (lost to Titanic) (1997)

Moonrise Kingdom is a film directed by Wes Anderson, with a screenplay written by Anderson and Roman Coppola.  The movie is set on the fictional island of New Penzance off the coast of New England in 1965.  Two 12-year-olds, Sam Shakusky and Suzy Bishop, become pen pals and eventually fall in love.  They decide to run away together on the island to pursue their love for one another, but an epic storm is brewing up and is due to hit New Penzance very soon.  With the combination of the storm and the runaway, the quiet, serene nature of this small island quickly turns tumultuously chaotic.

Wes Anderson has made quite a name for himself in the Hollywood as the creator and originator of a very eccentric, nonconformist style of filmmaking.  Some of his most popular films include The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and The Darjeeling Limited.  For anyone who has seen any of his previous films, Anderson’s distinct method of filmmaking is unmistakable, and in Moonrise Kingdom, he again employs this same scheme.

Anderson collaborated on this uniquely peculiar screenplay with Roman Coppola, a writer he previously worked with on the script for The Darjeeling Limited.  The two have created a brilliantly refreshing tale of young love, and the entertainingly hilarious nature of the film is brought on strongly by the wonderful piece of writing these two men have created.  Their script has resulted in an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

After I rented this movie a while back to see it for the first time, I absolutely fell in love with it—I went and purchased it on Blu-ray mere days after watching it.  It quickly became one of my favorite movies of all time, and it made me a fan of Anderson’s unusual style of filmmaking.  One of my favorite aspects of the movie was the score—acclaimed composer Alexandre Desplat creates a specific tone for the movie through his music, and it truly makes the story even more gripping.

The film features some hilariously interesting characters, played by a combination of star-studded actors and Hollywood newbies.  In my opinion, the two younger actors provide the movie’s brightest performances.  Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward portray Sam and Suzy, respectively, and together they provide for some of the funniest and most endearing scenes in the entire film.  Some great supporting performances are also contributed by some of the film industry’s most enduring performers: Bill Murray plays Suzy’s father, Frances McDormand plays Suzy’s mother, Bruce Willis plays the island’s sheriff, Edward Norton plays the local Khaki scout troop leader, Tilda Swinton plays a character known only as Social Services, Jason Schwartzman portrays Cousin Ben, Harvey Keitel plays Commander Pierce, and Bob Balaban provides the role of the narrator.  This ensemble collectively shines on the screen and makes this film the illustrious piece of art it is.

Also, one of the most recognized hallmarks of any Wes Anderson film is the presence of a cast that features many previous Anderson collaborators.  Moonrise Kingdom marks the sixth Anderson film featuring Bill Murray and fourth film featuring Jason Schwartzman.  Moonrise Kingdom is rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking.

Moonrise Kingdom trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N8wkVA4_8s

Academy Award nominations for Moonrise Kingdom:

Best Original Screenplay (Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of the Year:

3. Zero Dark Thirty

4. Skyfall

5. Django Unchained

6. Life of Pi

7. Amour

8. Les Misérables

9. Beasts of the Southern Wild

10. Looper

11. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

12. The Dark Knight Rises

13. Flight

14. The Master

15. Argo

Primele doua scene, primele doua oglinzi: una e situata in toaleta restaurantului si e cea in care Steve (Matt Damon) se examineaza dupa ce se spala pe fata, cealalta se afla in spatele lui, marginind separeul in care are loc intalnirea sa cu membrii esalonului superior al firmei de extragere a gazelor naturale pentru care lucreaza. In acest inceput al „Taramului fagaduinţei”, precum si pe tot parcursul filmului, Steve se afla sub permanenta supraveghere. Dupa primul interviu de angajare, in urma caruia sefii sai decid daca sa-l promoveze sau nu, urmeaza un interviu mai lung, cu locuitorii ultimului oras in care Steve mai e trimis la munca de jos. Eroul trece cu bine de prima proba, una avand o durata prestabilita si in timpul careia nimic neprevazut nu se intampla, dar nu reuseste sa se descurce la fel de bine la cel de-al doilea test. Ambele probe fac apel la un talent de negociator pe care, neindoielnic, eroul il poseda; mai mult, fata de managerii unsi cu toate alifiile pe care Steve ii persuadeaza intr-un restaurant de lux, adica pe teren strain, adversarii sai din cea de-a doua batalie sunt de un calibru net inferior, locuitori ai unui biet orasel de provincie, teritoriu in care Steve se simte ca pestele in apa. Drept urmare, el, dar si Sue (Frances McDormand), partenera lui, sunt filmati de-a lungul filmului de dupa tot felul de geamuri (al masinii, al tejghelei de magazin cu de toate etc.), iar traseul lor cu masina e vazut de fiecare data de undeva de deasupra: pentru locuitorii orasului, dar si pentru noi, cei doi sunt ca niste insecte intr-un insectar.

Treptat, promisiunea voyeurista se indeplineste, iar Steve şi Sue incep sa fie urmariti pas cu pas de un activist ecologist, care incearca sa le zadarniceasca actiunile. Ca intr-un cosmar, Dustin (John Krasinski) se insinueaza in viata lor, incalcandu-le teritoriul, fie ca e vorba de camera de hotel in care locuiesc, de automobilul pe care il folosesc, tapetate cu materialele publicitare ale ONG-ului pentru care Dustin lucreaza, sau de fata pe care Steve credea ca a cucerit-o.

De-a lungul filmului, actiunile lui Steve sunt prezentate in oglinda cu cele ale adversarilor lui, Frank (Hal Holbrook) si Dustin. Steve se indreapta catre un oraşel din Pennsylvania intr-un autobuz, in paralel il vedem pe Frank conducandu-si jeep-ul catre centrul orasului; Steve umbla din usa in usa sa-i convinga pe oameni sa semneze contractul cu firma lui, Dustin umbla din usa in usa sa-i convinga sa faca contrariul; Steve bate palma cu un localnic credul ca un copil, Dustin ii castiga de partea sa pe elevii unei clase primare. Atat Frank, cat si Dustin curteaza aceeasi femeie, pe Alice (Rosemarie DeWitt); si unul, si celalalt ii castiga pe rand increderea multumita aceloraşi calitati, sinceritatea si cumsecadenia (Frank le descopera pe parcursul relatiei cu ea, in timp ce Dustin doar le mimeaza).

In realitate, atat Frank, cat si Dustin ii sunt aliati, iar faptul ca Steve nu-si atinge cel de-al doilea scop are toate datele unei victorii finale. In realitate, adevarata cumpana pentru el nu e sa castige batalia pentru un oras care se lasa greu, ci echilibrul initial dispare tocmai pentru a-l forta sa se confrunte cu o dilema. Daca actioneaza ca un bun profesionist si face pana la capat treaba pentru care e platit, pune in pericol viata unor oameni care nu se fac vinovati de nimic, in afara poate de propria lor credulitate. Daca refuza sa-si bata joc de destinele acestora din urma, risca sa-si piarda locul de munca si sa ajunga in aceeasi situatie cu aceia pe care vrea sa-i ajute, adica cinstit si sarac. Alegerea morala spre care Steve inclina face ca filmul sa ofere opusul a ceea ce se cheama un success story, si totusi sa aiba un happy end. Adevarata proba pe care trebuie s-o treaca este sa renunte la rolul pe care il joaca permanent, cu gargara aferenta, indelung exersata, de om de vanzari, si sa transforme fraza pe care o tot repeta, ca pentru a se convinge pe sine, de-a lungul filmului („I’m not a bad guy”), in realitate. Ca urmare a acestei alegeri, eroul isi recapata integritatea morala si primeşte fata drept recompensa.

Facand asta, e un american de toata isprava, cu toate calitatile pe care le aveau odinioara personajele rezervate unui alt baiat de aur al Hollywood-ului. Chestiunea ecologista nu interesa pe nimeni in epoca, nici curentul anticorporatist nu avea prea mulţi adepti, iar obtinerea recompensei finale nu e marcata cu un sarut ca la carte, eventual in ploaie;  Steve intra in casa lui Alice si apoi Dumnezeu stie ce se mai intampla, dar asta nu inseamna ca cel mai recent film al lui Gus Van Sant ar fi aratat cu totul altfel pe vremea lui James Stewart.

Nominated: Best Original Screenplay

Moonrise Kingdom is a strange little film, that revolves around two young dysfunctional outcasts. Anderson provides support for his young actors by surrounding them with well established actors, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand. There is a tongue in cheek tone to their performances which comes from the very straight way they play characters that are overblown and almost caricatures.

Everything is just a little bit heightened and at the same time very straightly played. The whole film is suffused in yellows and browns. They are by far the dominant colors, very much evident in the Khaki Scouts uniforms. The Khaki Scouts camp made me chuckle as it reminded me of my own time camping as a Scout. At the same time I was thinking how ridiculous some of their activities were. It was like Anderson had taken the activities known to Scouts and played them from the point of view of someone who only has the vaguest notion of what Scouting actually consists of, like pioneering projects with the impractically high treehouse on an extremely spindly tree.

Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the two young leads, Sam and Suzy, are compelling to watch in their unusual journey. Both are unhappy in their lives and seek solace in each other. Suzy is beautiful and has that hard confidence of someone angry with her life. Their relationship contains the awkwardness of first discoveries of the opposite sex.

Like I said it’s a strange little film and not one that I think would appeal to the cinema going audience at large. That’s not to say it is an unappealing film, far from it, I was completely compelled all the way through, and it wouldn’t be up for an Oscar if it was unappealing. But I think few people would be willing to sit through a film with a unique style and sense of humor like Moonrise Kingdom. I can see it as more of an independent, art-house film that appeals to a niche audience. I’m aware that some people may call me a film snob for this but I think I hold a more realistic view of how people approach cinema.

(Spoilers follow)

The Small Town

Promised Land is a film about the energy extraction process known as hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking” for short). This process has become a flash point for environmentalists over the past few years, and this film staring Matt Damon serves as an attack on the way in which companies enter small towns to secure the rights to being using the method. The way the film portrays the struggle between the town and the fracking company is interesting and not boiled down to a simplistic “good vs evil” narrative with unlikable company men and heroic townsfolk. Instead, a more realistic portrayal of how complex story is told, although the message of the film clearly comes through.

Matt Damon’s character and his partner, played by Frances McDormand, visit the small town to convince the people living there to sell their land so the company can begin the process of fracking. As they gain momentum, a small town hall meeting is disrupted by a high school science teacher who points out the major flaws with the practice. This sets off a series of difficulties for the company that become further aggravated by the arrival of a small environmentalist group.

The sequence of the environmentalist, played by John Krasinski, gaining popularity in the town is where the film demonstrates its aim of a populist anti-corporate message. It sometimes feels that each scene is structured in such a way as to show support by the folks in the town for the environmentalist message over the corporate attempts to begin their work. One excellent example of this is a karaoke scene where the woman from the company attempts to sign a song and is largely ignored, while the environmentalist’s performance is met with enthusiastic participation and camaraderie from the locals who frequent the bar.

The citizens opposing the company

This dichotomy between “the people” and the company is one which tends to be absent from major Hollywood releases, so to see it in this film was a refreshing social commentary that is often too just not present. One problem with the way it plays out in this film, however, is how the events unfold in the latter part of the film where it is revealed that the environmental presence was actually set up by the company to discredit any opposition to their efforts. It is revealed that many of the claims by the environmentalist were fabricated, and the company was able to get evidence of this to discredit him. The night before a major vote is to take place, Damon’s character learns that he was being fooled by the company into believing this as well and has a change of heart. At this major vote the next day, he reveals to the people of the town that the environmentalist was actually working for his company, and we are left to assume that the town in turn rejected the proposal for the company to being operating in the town.

A problem with this turn of events is that the agency of the people of this town was reduced to the will and drive of different people in the company. This leads the conflict to be resolved by the “guilty feeling” and moral turn by one of the main drivers of the company’s profits. While depicting this “switching sides” so to speak is not in and of itself problematic, what is troubling is how the resolution of the conflict relied solely on his moral compass: not on the residents of the town themselves who had been so active throughout the film. They had been empowered every step of the way in rejecting the company, with a strong populist feeling of “us vs them” that had guided their clear move away from the company’s line. Yet once we discover that they were all being tricked (the company was “playing both sides” as the fake environmentalist had said), all of that empowerment was assumed to have just given in to the company’s ability to control the narrative. That’s not to say that when “both sides are being played” that people don’t get tricked, and that the ruling class doesn’t often get what it wants: but the endogenous, or homegrown opposition to the company ceased to be a factory in the conflict resolution of this film. This is the issue that should have been further explored.

The overall structure of the film is not itself challenged by this resolution, but it does take away from the overall progressive tone of the film. But in general the film deals with many important issues beyond fracking, namely the future of small towns where factory jobs and investment continue to leave and more and more they rely on deals with companies like the one depicted in this film.

Title: Promised Land

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Language: English

Genre: Drama

Director: Gus Van Sant

Writers:

John Krasinski

Matt Damon

Dave Eggers

Cast:

Matt Damon

Frances McDormand

John Krasinski

Rosemarie DeWitt

Hal Holbrook

Ken Strunk

Lucas Black

Scott McNairy

Titus Welliver

Tim Guinee

Terry Kinney

Rating: 6/10

This film should’ve been Matt Damon’s director debut (he is one of the co-writer and co-producer) since Ben Affleck is hot on fire in his director chair, it must be quite tempting for Matt to follow his suit. Then for unknown reasons, he backed up from directing while remaining in starring in it. So a safe backup stand-in is Gus Van Sant, to whom Matt and Ben will forever indebted for the sake of GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997, 8/10), so the proviso here is that one should not expect it as a true Gus Van Sant’s vehicle than a tossed-off understudy product under his belt (as I will not call his previous film RESTLESS 2011, 7/10 a misfire).

The trailer can also be misguiding, if one appraises from its juicy backstory, then assumes it will be another righteous individuals vs. global gas company on ecological terms of winning the moral and monetary victory, or another ERIN BROCKOVICH (2000, 8/10), PROMISED LAND never goes that far to unveil a certain impulse of inspirational excitement, and craftily it engineers on a personal route of redemption and choosing the right way to go, with a trifle soppy sentiment and hasty conspiracy theory.

Matt Damon is always playing Matt Damon (even in the action-packed BOURNE series), less an articulate orator than George Clooney, but wearing a much humbler ordinary-joe outfit, his final confession is banal but teemed with sincerity and earnestness, also an emotional spiel in the pub, which will wrought a punch in the face soon after, might end up as the highlights in his acting stretches.

Frances McDormand, is excellent as usual, hardly shines with her sidelined role, basically as an observer, her character holds up a well-maintained bulwark and conveys a more reality-concerned authenticity. John Krasinski (also a co-writer and co-producer), oozes a smug confidence throughout, until it comes his “twist-revealing”segment, switching between two antagonistic parties could never be easier or more shameless from his gauche utterance, also the twist is very lame (maybe I’ve watched too many USA TV series since I literally felt it coming and prayed it would not be the case). Rosemarie DeWitt, Krasinski’s significant other in reality, curbed by the benevolent nature of her role, is too trivial to mention. The only solid supporting performance is from Hal Holbrook, the one and only brain among the villagers, concludes the film with his concern on the focal point, how we can juggle with both the advantage of our modern life and the elephant-in-the-room ramifications it instigates, we all want to take the high ground of morality while not giving up our various privileges, there is no such good things, a pipe dream for all.

To conclude, PROMISED LAND has its languid pace and formulaic structure, the palette is enjoyable, but it is just a foil in Gus Van Sant’s erratic filmography, period.

The story is lovely and simple.  I really enjoy the details of Anderson’s films that make them have his distinct flavor, including the cinematography, the sets, music, and quirky dialogue and awkward personal interactions.  His films feel slightly left of real to me, and yet at the same time so painfully true in the way people struggle to relate with each other and themselves.  It is unlikely to win in its solely nominated category of Best Original Screenplay, but it is deserving of a wide audience.  If you haven’t seen this film, please give it a chance – even if you aren’t a fan of Wes Anderson’s other work, this movie is a beautiful story of love and acceptance in several forms.

2012 | 94 minutes | Dir. Wes Anderson | Focus Features

Moonrise Kingdom is director Wes Anderson’s 7th film.  It tells the tale of Sam and Suzy, two emotionally troubled twelve- year- olds who run away together on the eve of New England’s most destructive meteorological event of the second half of the twentieth century.  It takes place on the fictional island of New Penzance in 1965.

Sam (Jared Gilman) is an unpopular Khaki Scout under the not-so-watchful eye of Scoutmaster Ward at Fort Lebanon.  Orphaned and abandoned by his foster family, Sam plots to run away and carve out his own Moonrise Kingdom. One year prior, he meets Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward) at a church production of Noah’s Aarke.  Suzy is a similarly deranged preteen with bright blue eyeshadow and Sunday School shoes.  The two become pen pals and plan their escape.  They execute their plot perfectly, until the young lovers are discovered and sent on the run.  They are hotly pursued by Police Officer Sharp (Bruce Willis), Suzy’s haphazard lawyer parents (Francis McDormand and Bill Murray), Khaki Scout Troop 55, and Social Services (Tilda Swinton).

Sam & Suzy, Troubled Youth

Moonrise Kingdom has been called Anderson’s best film to date.  I would have to argue, since I completely adore The Fantastic Mr. Fox.  Let’s say it’s his best live- action film to date.  Moonrise Kingdom is charming, funny, sweet, quirky, and imaginative.

The film features music by classical composer Benjamin Britton, accented with original score by Alexandre Desplat, who also scored Fox.  Almost every scene has music playing.

The cinematography mixes Anderson’s signature quirk with European movies of the 1960’s. At times the film plays like a live- action version of the stop- motion Fantastic Mr. Fox, complete with campy special effects and tree houses.

Troop 55 plans atop a precarious perch

The film has all of Anderson’s signatures:  pop culture references, highbrow humor, wacky vintage props, awkwardly framed shots, Bill Murray. Edward Norton gives a great performance as Scoutmaster Ward.  I feel like it’s the only time this century Norton has been properly cast. The child actors are all deliciously deadpan, just like Anderson’s favorite veterans.  Anderson’s fans will not be disappointed, and newcomers will be enchanted.

Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton and Bruce Willis (from left to right) star as adults.

I commend Mr. Anderson for making a movie about children without tarnishing childhood innocence.  Moonrise Kingdom never gets immature or inappropriate.  I feel like many adult movies about children these days place kids in horrific real- world situations (Hound Dog, Beasts of the Southern Wild) or exploit the underground world of adolescent drug use and sexuality (Son of Rambow, Thirteen).  Moonrise Kingdom does neither, as it is obviously neither based in reality nor interested in mature subject matter (although parents be warned:  Sam smokes a pipe).   Anderson merely creates a whimsical tale of love and adventure where everything is make- believe, from the island to the story to the books the children read (Anderson wrote passages and commissioned artwork for six fictional books). Moonrise Kingdom shows us that the only grown- up who can top a child’s imagination is Anderson himself.

Wes Anderson was never the director of quiet, subtle films. This isn’t quite a masterpiece like “The Royal Tenenbaums,” his funny, messy portrait of a deeply tangled family tree. “Moonrise” is lighter and more innocent. But Anderson doesn’t make boring films and “Moonrise” lives up to that.

Taking place in an idyllic New England town in the ’60s, “Moonrise” is the fable-like story of two kids (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) who innocently plan to run away together Romeo-And-Juliet style. In their way is a dedicated scout leader (Edward Norton), the kid’s parents (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray), a police captain (Bruce Willis) and, of course, Social Services (Tilda Swinton). Perhaps this laundry list of starry actors makes it sound episodic or scattered, but each character blends well into the imaginative world Anderson’s created.

There’s some wonderfully whimsical touches from the omnipresent, Nature Channel-like narrator (Bob Balaban) to just the unusual and artsy ways Anderson places the camera. Kitsch aside, “Moonrise” is a story about the most innocent and fresh-faced form of love and the wonder and fragility of childhood.

What else to say about “Moonrise Kingdom?” It’s a film that I greatly enjoyed watching, one that kept a smile on my face for the whole film, but also one that’s decidedly simple in the best of ways.

“Moonrise Kingdom” is like eating a big, fluffy pile of cotton candy. It’s light, sweet and totally delicious on the way down. But it’s also a film that fades away quickly, leaving only a sweet, slightly sticky film on the lobe of my brain devoted to film criticism.

The hero speech, Promised Land

Often a film will contain the key granting access to its significance within its body proper. This key could be a scene, a shot, an object, a sound, even a single frame (that of the African girl’s gaze meeting the camera’s eye in Sans Soleil).

Gus van Sant’s Promised Land contains such a key, one which reveals the flimsiness of the film’s moral position and the triteness of its aesthetics. Steve and Sue (Matt Damon and Frances McDormand), sales representatives for the Global energy concern, enter a local grocery to purchase rustic disguises (flannel shirts, blue jeans, baseball caps). The secret to Steve’s unparalleled sales success in middle America is the donning of a façade – one which draws its potency not only from country clothing and gesture, but also from the personal mythology of his own small-town provenance.

Even Steve and Sue are hard-pressed to accept their own farcical pretense, which fails to pass muster as the first farmer they meet pulls the sales tag off of Steve’s jacket. This anodyne scene is the key to the film’s interpretation in that it exposes not only the duo’s unconvincing duplicity, but the film’s own hypocrisies as well.

Promised Land opens and closes with the camera gliding aloofly over farmlands in summer, a lofty distance from both land and people which it never closes. In lieu of rural America’s rough-hewed landscapes, the middlebrow camerawork delivers picture postcards whose polished images fit the land as much as a dirty shovel fits Matt Damon’s hand. (In comparison, see the mud-birthed faces emanating from the Flanders or Brittany of a Bruno Dumont film).

Steve and Sue gallivant across the countryside trying to outsmile their environmentalist nemesis (actually a straw-man fiend who is a colleague in disguise), in order to ensure their career success, as well as the screenplay’s correction of their misguided ways. Implausibly, the very farmers whose livelihood will likely be destroyed by the firm Steve represents cannot cease to praise him for “being a good guy,” always polite, who from a small town himself can even drink like the rest of them.

The film sedately accepts the corrupt corporate logic of accountability’s annulment as long as the individual in question has at least one positive quality. Following this logic to its terminus, the ruination of life and land is excused as long as one has amorphously good intentions. Offering the untenable pretense of an honorable moral position, Promised Land’s actual moral position is that of easychair comfort. Forsaking the land for immense monetary gain is excusable as long as one is “a good person”  (and one assumes, following the Hollywood credo of equivocation of morality and aesthetics, good-looking).

This dissolution of moral responsibility is accompanied by a syrupy-sweet display of hokiness, replete with scenes of little league, lemonade stands, smiling children, wise grandfathers, community meetings, barbeques and rained-out town fairs. Promised Land’s corniness climaxes when Steve Butler closes with film with a hero-making, almost presidential speech, flaunting the important personal lesson he learned (this above all: to thine own self be true), thanks to which he will now gladly renounce his professional career for a chance at true love in their homey  rustic town.

Steve’s affected discourse even includes (beware screenwriters) a reappropriation of his sweetheart Alice’s smug finger-wag: “we all need something we have to take care of,” which he duly regurgitates in full view of all so that as he presents the local yokels his humble missive of newfound illumination, he can simultaneously deliver an subtle message of love to his dearest beloved.

The competent performances, proficient editing, pretty shots and talented director cannot save the film from its fake plastic morality, constructed upon the scaffolding of hokey heroism and fatuous screenwriting. As Steve and Sue sit on the front seats of the two-tone pickup truck in their jeans and flannels awkwardly preparing themselves to present a lie no one, not even they believe, their actions are a key which unlocks Promised Land’s awareness of its own clumsy cinematic fakery and facile moral gloss.

Promised Land
USA 2012
Director: Gus Van Sant
Cast: Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt

IMDB

by: ©IoanaRalucaPopescu

actori:  Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski

regia:  Gus Van Sant

http://www.raluk.ro

Moonrise Kingdom is all about that summer you wish you had. Running away with that cute girl you just met, or have been corresponding with, not having any sort of plan, but knowing that whatever you’re doing, it’s amazingly great because you’re with her. The film touches on so many niche genres and distinct “Wes Anderson” themes like young love, screwed up families, quirky characters, an expansive colour palette, and of course, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman pop up in places. These all roll up into a nice ball, and contribute to a quieter, smaller Anderson film, if you can believe that his films could even get more quieter and smaller.

I don’t want to say that this seems like his one of his most personal films, because all of his films are beautifully personal, that’s what makes his characters come to life and seem so real, even in their inherent oddball statures. These constant Wes Anderson themes, and the personalized screenplay by Anderson and Roman Coppola really flourish in the hands of these young children, where their emotions aren’t played ironically or facetiously. Both Sam and Suzy (our main characters who try to run away together) love each other and have this special connection, that might seem funny to us that they believe so fully at a young age (12) that they are meant to be together, but it’s never jokingly aped by Anderson.

The film is very funny, weird, and sweet, just like all Wes Anderson films, but there’s an honesty and freshness to all of this when siphoned through the eyes and actions of two 12-year olds who care deeply for each other. Coupled with their burgeoning love is the flip-side of this coin, an inert sadness that seems to have fully covered this New England island, only to be broken up by Sam and Suzy. Bruce Willis’ Captain Sharp is lonely living by himself and the only real contact he has with anyone else is with Suzy’s mother Laura (Frances McDormand), and hell, that isn’t even that real and just unravels around itself. Laura is disconnected from her husband Walt (Bill Murray) and their kids don’t like them very much, Suzy grabs her cat and high-tails it out of there the first minute she gets. Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) doesn’t have anything either, he’s the only adult in charge of a bunch of boy scouts during the summer and flippantly mentions that he’s normally a teacher. Sadness wrings over his face especially when you become to realize more and more that being Scout Master is the only thing he has that makes him happy, but what even is “happy” for someone so drained of life.

Sam and Suzy’s love only grows within themselves as their adventures move them close and closer to each other. Everybody else is solely against them and their habit of running away. The other scouts rally against Sam because he’s weird, introverted and different. They soon realize he’s one of them though, a scout all the same, sure he’s different, but he’s a scout just like each and every one of them at the end of the day. Sam and Suzy cut through the sadness and isolated worlds of everybody on the island, and make their lives better in whatever tangential way stems from their kinship together. Captain Sharp takes custody of Sam, while the scouts accept him. Suzy’s parents at least seem relatively better while Scout Master Ward gets validation (presumably) from the Scout Commander after he saves his life, and proves his worth. Like the themes and symbols of all Wes Anderson films there is darkness and sadness, but like Sam and Suzy’s togetherness, there is always something to brighten the mood and put their own little twist on elements or people that are seemingly stuck in a rut.

Then there’s the Super Bowl, unplugged. Wow. That really threw a wrench into our snack schedule. Do you watch it for the game or the commercials and half-time show? Or do you take Tylenol PM and pull a pillow over your head?  My spouse surmised that the only thing missing from Beyoncé’s half-time show was the pole, and yet my 13-year-old daughter walked away saying, she seems like a good person, like she’ll be a good mom. Huh? This must be the key to Beyoncé’s success but it hurts my head to think about it.

If you are on the east coast like me, you had the pleasure of finding Nemo. I sat and watched the snow fall from my desk in the dining room (I know, strange place for a desk but it migrated from the basement for the winter). The storm was relentless, surreal, beautiful, and ferocious. A huge tree limb sits across the street like the bones of a prehistoric animal. The snow, seductive and heavy, had its way with this branch. The tree just sat there and watched, knowing it didn’t have a chance. My daughter stuck her ruler in the bird bath to see how much snow fell, but the storm was a gypsy whirling and dancing and twirling her scarves back and forth and around and around. A tiny stub of the ruler was left peeking out but there was actually almost two feet of snow when Nemo finally left us. Many households lost power and had a very rough go of it, but we were pretty lucky. The propane gas that fuels the stove ran out but we cooked in the microwave and crock pot, my spouse grilling in the garage, a flash light strapped to her head like a Minion. She also shoveled us out and helped a number of neighbors too because she is that type of person. You know, the one who will pull over if someone is in trouble or pick up a stray dog and find its home. I’m the nervous type, certain the person in trouble is really an axe murderer or that the dog has rabies.

After such a dramatic start to the month you would think we could just put our feet up and rest but that is simply not the case. Still to come are Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Valentines Day (which is also International Condom Day, and I am not making that up), Presidents Day and Purim. And if that’s not enough I already watched the Grammys (I could absolutely leave my current life and follow Mumford and Sons around like Penny Lane in Almost Famous, although truthfully, at this point I am much more like the mother played by Frances McDormand in that movie so it might not work), and the Oscars coming on the 24th. I rarely go to the movies these days so I have no idea who to root for, but I will still watch them, celebrating with Prosecco or a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. I did see Silver Lining Playbook because of Matthew Quick. I’m a sucker for a writer-who-took-risks story. I haven’t read the book but will, because I think I can learn something. That’s what I’ve been doing a lot more of this month. Reading to learn as opposed to reading for pleasure. Luckily, the pleasure sneaks in regardless, and I have read some amazing books.

So much crammed into our shortest month. How are you celebrating?

Girl X Girl

2007

delinquent girl has a crush on loner boy, but she suspects he likes the school’s

number 2; girl schemes to make the honor student become like her

and wins an unlikely friendship instead

starring: Kwak Jimin, Lim Seong-Eon

2 Stars

Hocus Pocus

1993

three Salem witches are awakened from a curse by a virgin teenage boy

starring: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker

2 Stars

American Pie

1999

four best friends try to lose their virginity before graduation with hilarious consequences

starring: Jason Biggs, Chris Klein

2 Stars

Sex is Zero

2002

an awkward college student has a crush on an attractive member of the aerobics

club, but can’t seem to get her attention without embarassing himself

starring: Ha Ji Won, Lim Chang Jung

3 Stars

Sex is Zero 2

2007

same awkward man is still a student, but has a new girlfriend

starring: Lim Chang Jung, Song Ji-hyo

No star

Zoolander

2001

top male model is brainwashed to kill the Malaysian prime minister

starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson

2 Stars

Pineapple Express

2008

a stoner process server teams up with his dealer to evade the cop-drug lord duo who are trying to kill him

starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco

2 Stars

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

2007

an old maid finds herself unemployed and is mistaken for a social secretary by a Broadway starlet

starring: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams

3 Stars

Tropic Thunder

2007

a movie shooting goes wrong when the rookie director tries to be realistic

by immersing his self-important cast members into the jungles of Vietnam

starring: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black

2 Stars

Elf

2003

a human raised as an elf finds out he’s adopted and sets out for New York to find his real daddy

starring: Will Ferrel, Zooey Deschanel

2 Stars

The Watch

2012

an overly active community member forms a watch group to protect the neighborhood from a killer

starring: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah HIll

1 Star

House Party

1990

Kid just wants to rap verses and to mingle with other teenagers, but his strict father wants him to be more responsible

 starring: rap duo Kid N Play, Martin Lawrence

4 Stars

Waking Up in Reno

2002

two couples travel to Reno, but finds out two of them are cheating the others

 starring: Charlize Theron, Patrick Swayze, Billy Bob Thornton, Natasha Richardson

2 Stars

Big Stan

2007

a conman gets 3 years sentence and protects himself from man-rape by learning martial arts

 starring: Rob Schneider, Jennifer Morrison

1 Star

Bartok the Magnificent

1999

Bartok the Magnificent, an albino bat and street performer, is tasked to rescue Russia’s prince from the evil Baba Yaga

 starring: Hank Azaria (voice)

2 Stars

Because I Said So

2007

a mother meddles with her daughter’s love life after a string of failed relationships

starring: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore

1 Star

As Good As It Gets

1997

[Image from: James D. Best, "Noodle Salad for Everyone"]

an old grumpy man with OCD is hated by everyone around him, but slowly changes his life and perspective when he starts falling in love

starring: Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson

4 Stars

See You After School

2006

a “loser” guy seeks treatment for his unluckiness, and, in his last new school, he finds the courage to break the odds himself

starring: Bong Tae-gyu, Ha Seok-Jin

2 Stars

Holes

2003

a boy is wrongly sent to boot camp where juvenile offenders are forced to dig holes to learn their lesson

starring: Shia LaBeaouf, Sigourney Weaver

3 Stars

Marrying the Mafia

2002

a man is forced to marry a gangster family daughter after waking up next to each other with no recollection of  what happened

starring: Kim Jeong-eun, Jung Joon-Ho

1 Star

Attack on the Pin-Up Boys

2007

a high school student chronicles the attacks on popular boys; when he suspects that their school is up, everyone goes into a frenzy with guessing who will be the next victim

starring: Kim Kibum, Super Junior

2 Stars

National Lampoon’s Van Wilder

2002

a veteran university student raises funds for his tuition by planning parties for underdog groups after his father decided seven years in college is just too much of a poor investment

starring: Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid

No star

Harold and Maude

1971

an death-obsessed young man meets an old lady who has an affinity for new experiences

starring: Bud Cort, Ruth Gordon

5 Stars (Perfect!)

Sugar & Spice

2001

a group of cheerleaders assemble a bank heist to help one of them raise her unborn child

starring: Marley Shelton, Marla Sokoloff

1 Star

Please Teach Me English 

2003

a public official is designated by her office to learn English; her awkward adventures are magnified when she falls for her playboy classmate

starring: Lee Na-Young, Jang Hyuk

3 Stars

Swing Girls

2004

a group of girls plot to escape make-up classes by substituting for the school

brass band whose members were food-poisoned; when the original members

return, the girls already discovered a love for jazz, and they, together with a solo male, form a band of their own

starring: Juri Ueno, Yūta Hiraoka

2 Stars

Heathers

1988

a member of the popular clique wants the leader of the group dead; she gets her wish with the help of a rebellious new student who is skilled in making murders look like suicides

starring: Winona Rider, Christian Slater

3 Stars

EuroTrip

2004

a group of friends travel through Europe to help one of them get his German pen pal whom he has mistaken for a boy and insulted through email

starring: Scott Mechlowicz Jacob Pitts

No star

Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington

(Zombadings 1: Kill Remington with Fear)

2011

a homophobic young man is cursed by a gay man he taunted when he was a boy;

just days before his 21st birthday, he discovers slow, yet drastic, changes in his

behavior that make him question his sexuality–just when he meets a pretty girl who may be the one for him

starring: Martin Escudero, Lauren Young

2 Stars

Watching this film just made me smile from ear to ear the first time I saw it back in 2000. The reason is that, for all intents and purposes, I was the lead character, William Miller, back in middle and high school … albeit with much much much less ambition … as evidenced by the fact that I didn’t pursue a career in journalism or filmmaking.

With the exception of “Say Anything,” “Almost Famous” is writer/director Cameron Crowe’s best film. It’s his autobiography disguised as fiction. What’s particularly amazing is that he really did live most of the antics in the film at the age of 15 and not only did Crowe not become a drug casualty or bitter hack as he got older, he transcended all of it and became a successful filmmaker.

Yes, there’s a lot of this film that may seem corny. But the lead character (as well as the person the lead character is based on) is only 15 … and is a decent person. His way of navigating this sometimes very dark world and maintaining his integrity is what makes this film particularly inspiring. It’s clear that Crowe has a genuine love for humanity and for people. As flawed as many of the characters are in this film, he doesn’t make any of them completely unlikable. His ability to see the humanity in a very debauched world is what makes this film such a joy to behold.

The performances, from Patrick Fugit as Miller, to Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are all terrific. Hell, even Zooey Deschanel is charming in this film (which trust me, is extremely hard to admit).

A lot of rock critic types rolled their eyes at this film when it came out and you can sense the jealousy in their attacks for obvious reasons. While This is not a perfect film, denying its charms is to deny the film’s audacious optimism and humanity. This is a great, great movie and is a film that always makes me feel better about the world.

By Julie Civiello.

KCRW, the local radio station, which I have set as preset 1 in my car (Always. And I have been know to change others’ number 1 preset to 89.9 FM as well) has an excellent show called The Treatment, hosted by Elvis Mitchell and produced by Harriet Ells and Jenny Radelet. Elvis Mitchell has interviewed Wes Anderson for every film he has made. The most recent being Moonrise Kingdom.

I want to share this June 2012 podcast with you because I thought Moonrise Kingdom is such a special story; not only because he chose to film in Rhode Island, close to my home in Maine, but because the story of first love is so powerful. Also, Elvis Mitchell asks great questions; so even though Wes has been interviewed endlessly on Moonrise Kingdom, I think Elvis adds some fresh flavor.

Some great points:

• Elvis asks about how Wes is able to write women. Wes is very funny, in the way he answers questions, bumbling along and figuring out the question through his answer: Wes shares that this story focuses more on the girl’s point of view (played by Kara Hayward), rather than the mother (played by Frances McDormand) and rather than the boy (played by Jared Gilman).
• Elvis also asks about the color of the film, mentioning that it feels like each frame is a polaroid snapshot. And Wes explains that because the film is set in the 1960s, the colors are inspired by the photographs and film of that era, which were all captured by film, not digital devices. He shares further on the death of film and working on 16 mm stock.
• Wes mentions something, a theme that has been surfacing in my own life again and again, about how many of the characters are not fulfilled because the adults are not working on their hearts’ desires. And Elvis shares that he was really rooting for the kids, worrying about their “future debilitating conformities that adulthood offers them.”
• Finally Elvis asks if there is a correlation between the Coppola family and the Tenenbaums. Wes shares that the Tenenbaums are a real family and are old family friends of the Andersons. But also, for Wes, the Tenenbaums are the Wilson family, Owen and Luke Wilson, and he wished he were a Wilson for many years and maybe still does. Now I see Owen Wilson in The Royal Tenenbaums is very much Wes Anderson, longing to belong.

Below is a video of animated shorts Wes Anderson made correlating to the books Suzie (Kara Hayward) reads throughout the film. I am continually amazed at the efforts and detail Wes creates for each of his films. There is always art, animation, props, costumes that are so alive and feed the story, even if the viewer isn’t being told to pay attention to it, because it may only exist in the corner of a single frame. These videos never made it into the film; this acts more as promotional material. Notice how this video doesn’t feel in the slightest promotional, but is in direct line with Wes’ aesthetic and could stand alone as one of his works.

What are your reactions to Moonrise Kingdom? And what did you think of The Treatment’s podcast?

Photo Credit: KCRW.com

First off in my Coen brothers marathon is their second film

The year was 1987.  Back then the Coen brothers were relatively unknown directors and Nic Cage still had a good casting agent.  The two united and produced a movie, with the result being one of the funniest and quirkiest off-beat comedies ever made, Raising Arizona.

It’s been a while since I last saw Raising Arizona and I was worried it might have not lived up to memory.  However, that was not the case.  Raising Arizona was just as funny as I remembered it to be and it remains one of the many reasons why I think the Coen brothers are two of the best directors ever.  Raising Arizona has many of the Coens’ many trademarks and surely is an influence for their later movies.  It’s also been a great inspiration for comedy(the TV series My Name is Earl bore great resemblance to this), and its comic approach is unlike any other, with a rapid style joke per minute.

The movie is about a small time burglar named H. I. (Cage), who has been imprisoned more times than anyone could imagine.  He falls in love with a police officer named Ed (Holly Hunter) and the two eventually get married and movie into a trailer park.  H. I. cleans up and works at a machine shop while Ed continues to work at the police station.  Eventually the two want to have children but they soon discover Ed can’t conceive and since it’s hard to adopt a child with H. I.’s criminal record, they decide to steal a baby from Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson), whose wife recently had five new children (which resulted from Nathan taking fertility drugs).

From there on, the plot gets even absurder, wilder, and even funnier.  Two of H. I.’s friends, Gale (Coen brothers’ regular John Goodman) and Evelle (William Forsythe), come over to the new family after escaping jail and Ed tries to have H. I. get along with her friends Glen (Sam McMurray) and Dot (Frances McDormand), a swinger couple.  Meanwhile, Nathan puts out an award for the missing baby and a bounty hunter who looks like he comes from the apocalypse (Randall “Tex” Cobb) attempts the catch the criminals.

No one could come up with a story like this other than the Coens, who stylize the movie perfectly.  The two offer up more gags and jokes than anyone could.  The movie reflects the blue collar life of Arizona through the scenery and eye candy, like the Seven Elevens and trailer parks, plus the soundtrack by Carter Burwell helps bring up a giddy mood to the picture.  Barry Sonnenfield’s cinematography also helps lighten the mood of what could be a dark concept.  The movie is full of Coen-ish, exaggerated accents and hilariously clever and witty banter.  The odd idiosyncrasies of the characters, like H. I.’s wild haircut, are funny enough as it is.  The movie’s best scene is a chase sequence where H. I. is pursued by the police and a group of angry dogs after a failed robbery at a convenient store.

The performances also really help carry the film together.  Cage is especially great as H. I. and gives the role a maniacal, cartoon edge.  In recent years he’s really hurt his career but back in the late 80s and 90s, Cage could really act.  Hunter is fantastic in her role as well and since when has a John Goodman character in a Coen brothers movie ever been bad?  He’s great as well.

Though I feel that the Coens’ later movies are more polished, this still remains one of their highlights in their career.  An effective comedy that never loses its edge, Raising Arizona is a true comic gem.

I have a bumpy track record with Wes Anderson films. I love Fantastic Mr Fox, but tend to find the off kilter whimsy of films like The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou a little bit too much. I was, then, pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom. Andersons tale of young love has some brilliant performances from its child actors, while the stunning ensemble adult cast is outstanding, particularly a marvellously understated Bruce Willis. Equal amounts sweet, funny and melancholic, Moonrise Kingdom is well worth a watch.